Improved method of making illuminating-gas



A. C. RAND. Y METHOD of MAKING ILLUMINATING GAS. lNoA 66,041. Patented June 25, 1867.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-ALoNzo c. RAND, 0E luNipN MILLS, rENNsYLvANEi.

IMPROVED METHOD VOF MAKING ILLUMINATING-GAS.

To .all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO C. RAND, of Union Mills, counirv of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Making Illuminating- Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a .full and exact description of the same, together with its operation, reference being had to thel accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

As the apparatus is simple in its parts, a perspective View only is given.

The nature of m'y `invention consists in manufacturing an illuminatinggas permanent in its character, manufacturing benzole, and improving or increasing the value of crude petroleum for refiners use by one and `the same operation, thus enabling gas companies to make a cheap good illuminating-gas by argyiierlerrovess A1 A are tanks with closed tops and bottoms-Al to hold .the crude petroleum, A2 to hold the benzole--Al represented above ground on stone pier, A2 below ground and surrounded by water contained .in water-bath B. In the tank A1 is a steam-coil, C, used to heat the liquid in said tank. The steam is lfurnished through the pipe D. -E is the airpipe, connecting with an air-pump, (not shown in the drawings,) to deliver the air into the bottom of tank A1. The pipe F feeds the crude petroleum or other hydrocarbon into the tank A1. G is a cock used to draw olf the heavy hydrocarbon after the lighter portions have been dstilled 0E. H is vthe pipe used to conduct the warm vapor and carbureted air into the tank A2. This mixture of `vapor and air is conducted to the bottom of the tank A2, and makes its exit through the line holes in the delivery endof pipe H. I is a pipe to deliver the non-condensa'ble or permarient gas into the gas-holder J. K is the usual delivery-pipe leading to the mains.

Having thus described the various parts of `my invention, I will now proceed to show its operation, use, and advantages.

The tank A1 is first nearly filled with crude petroleum or -any other hydrocarbon that is too heavy to be used for carbureting air by a coldprocess. VThe tank A2 can then be filled half full of benzole of a specific gravity light enough to carburet the air by cold process. Now, allow the steam to pass through the coil until the crudepetroleum is warm. Then set the air-pump working, and the air passes into the tank Al near the bottom, and is distributed through the warmpetroleum in smalll streams, as shown by the perforations'in the air-pipe. The air in its passage upward will be partially carbureted, but will also have 'absorbed the warm vapors of benzine. These vapors and air then pass through the pipe H, and downward to the bottom of the tank A2, through perforations same as those in A1. As the tank A2 is half filled with cold benzine and the tank itself surrounded with cold water, the vapors are condensed in their upwardpassage through the coldbenzolle, and nothing but the now thoroughly-carbureted air passes through the pipeIinto the gas--holder J. It will at once be seen that, while this this processis going on, gasoline or benzole of very light gravity is beingmade constantly, the air acting. as a vehicle, conduct-ing -it into the benzine-tank A2- the proper place for its deposit and use.

To enable those not skilled in the distillation of crude petroleum to fully understand and comprehend the advantages of this method over allothers, I would say that in the manufacture of gasoline or benzole by the old p methods a large'amount of permanent gas is made and lost, 'as on an application of heat the gas will pass .off before any condensation takes place in thecondensing-worm, and during the process of distillation permanent gas is constantly passing oi' through the pipes provided near the tail-pipes to the condensingworms.

' By my process all this permanent gas is saved in the gas-holder. This gas is the richest and best gas for illuminating purposes, as, having passed through the condenser, it will not condense in the pipes in the streets or those leading to the burners.

After all the lighterportions have been taken off from the crude petroleum, the remainder is then ready for the reiiner to use for making illuminating-oil.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the tanks A1 and A2 with the gas-holdcrJ, operated substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

ALONZO C. RAND.

Witnesses:

E. D. SUNDEELIN, A. B. RAND. 

